Lehighton man admits he murdered his mother

Derek Schock, 20, sentenced to life in prison without parole.

Blaming a "stressful relationship," a 20-year-old Lehighton man admitted Thursday that he killed his mother by slashing her neck, then stabbing her 12 times.

Derek G. Schock's plea to first-degree murder came an hour before his trial was to start in Carbon County Court. President Judge Roger N. Nanovic immediately sentenced Schock, who faced the possibility of the death penalty if convicted, to life in prison without parole.

During the hearing, Schock's sister, Danielle Gaston, read a letter to him that their mother, Lyndell Schock, wrote 31/2 months before her Feb. 12, 2004, murder. It showed Lyndell and Derek had a strained relationship, but also demonstrated a mother's unconditional love.

The letter, and testimony from Lyndell Schock's relatives, had many in the courtroom in tears. Even veteran District Attorney Gary F. Dobias and arresting state Trooper Jill Mahady had tears welling in their eyes.

Lyndell Schock wrote the letter about the time Derek moved out of the family home on Fairyland Road in Franklin Township and into an apartment on First Street in Lehighton with Brad Ondrovic and William Bender, both of whom have homicide charges pending in the killing.

Schock wrote that she always gave her son freedom, but she was concerned he would fail after leaving home because he was young and had "personal problems." Derek moved out of the house when he was 18 and a high school senior.

Lyndell Schock also wrote that he never understood when she was hurt, angry or depressed, and he seemed to go out of his way to insult her. "I resent that you never treated me as a human being," she wrote.

She reminded him she still grieved for her late husband, Derek's father, who died soon after Derek was born.

Schock closed the letter by asking Derek to treat her "decently and with consideration."

Instead, Dobias said, Schock, Ondrovic and Bender began plotting her murder two weeks before they carried it out. That night, Bender drove the two others to the house, where Ondrovic held her down as Schock tried to break her neck, Dobias said.

In an account police gave, Lyndell Schock, who was 49, recognized her son even though he wore a mask.

"What are you doing, Derek?" she screamed.

"Shut up, bitch," he replied, and slashed her throat with a knife. He then stabbed her a dozen times in the back and right side, according to Dobias.

After the stabbing, Ondrovic took $20 from Lyndell Schock's purse, and her son took jewelry from the house, then they discarded a knife, masks and other items in the Lehigh River, Dobias said. At 4:30 a.m., they returned to Lehighton, where Ondrovic and Schock put their clothing into garbage bags, Dobias said. They were arrested three days later.

"This is one of the most brutal and vicious attacks I have seen in 25 years as a prosecutor," Dobias said. He added that Schock has never expressed remorse for the killing.

Nanovic asked Schock why he killed his mother. After several seconds, he replied: "Accumulation of time." When Nanovic asked him to explain, he said: "Stressful relationship, your honor."

The judge asked him if money, such as an inheritance, motivated him to kill. Schock said no.

"You have no conception of the value of a human life," Nanovic said.

Nanovic gave Schock another opportunity to address his family, and he turned it down. He looked on stone-faced as his grandfather, aunt, stepfather, stepsister and sister addressed him in court.

"All she ever wanted you to do was to love her and to make something of yourself, and you killed her," said Schock's stepfather, Norman Rehrig. He told Schock he wants him to remember the pain he caused his mother and family members. But he also said he forgives him.

"I hope someday you will be remorseful and come to peace," Rehrig said, asking Schock to find forgiveness in God.

Gaston, his sister, said she can't believe Schock killed their mother, because "she loved you more than life itself." She said she can't forgive him now, but held out hope she will some day. "If my brother ever comes back and finds God, I will forgive," she said.